Transcript Highlights:

• Uh so audited on market value of assets.
• , but for their used sick leave as service credit.
• credit and any additional<00:59:11.200><c> salary</c><00:59:11.680><c> credit</c><00:59:11.920><c> they
• Hopefully we can get service credit.
• </c> know, we get those, uh, rebates audited know, we get those, uh, rebates audited to<01:05:04.559>

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:01 Attendance Roll Call: 00:01:26 Approval of Minutes: 00:02:27 Investment, Cash Flow, and Legislative Update: Bo Cracraft – Judicial Form Retirement System: 00:03:12 Ryan Barrow – Kentucky Public Pensions Authority: 00:21:52 Beau Barnes – Teachers’ Retirement System: 00:34:31 Adjournment: 01:07:25, 958, all

Summary: The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer, followed by a roll call confirming a quorum and approval of the prior minutes. A special guest, Dave Eager, was welcomed before the committee moved to presentations from retirement system officials. Bo Craycraft, executive director of the Judicial Form Retirement System, gave a quarterly update on investment performance, asset allocation, and cash flow. He said the plans had held up well amid market volatility, with fiscal year-to-date returns above benchmark and long-term returns remaining strong. He explained that the plans are targeted to a 70% equity/30% fixed-income allocation, that some cash is being held for cash-flow management, and that negative cash flow is expected because of funding and contribution levels. He also said Senate Bill 183, dealing with proxy voting and economic analysis for certain votes, was not expected to materially affect the plans because of their small number of holdings and Bear Trust’s long-term investment approach. Ryan Barrow and Erin Surrod then presented for the Kentucky Pension Authority. They reported positive quarterly performance across the retirement and insurance funds, though results varied by period and remained tied to broader market conditions. They said recent asset-allocation changes had been completed and the funds were now within target ranges. On cash flow, they noted some plans remained negative or near zero, with one plan benefiting from a large appropriation. In the legislative update, they described House Bill 30 as codifying an exclusion from pension-spiking calculations for across-the-board raises, and Senate Bill 10 as increasing retiree health insurance subsidies and changing employee health insurance contribution rules for certain CERS members beginning in 2026. They also said Senate Bill 183 would likely have limited impact, though the agency would review voting policies and incorporate any required economic-analysis procedures.

Transcript Highlights:

• It also provides for marching band members to earn one PE credit and one arts credit for two years of
• and one art credit.
• Further, one PE credit, and for band, one PE and one art credit. And that, Mr.
• for their yearly or annual audit?
• Thanks for that brief thorough description. for the audit that is For the audit that is due annually,

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Washington County administrator Alan Massey, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several gallery recognitions. The chamber adopted the special order report and then took up a series of bills on the special order calendar. Early measures included CS/HB 967 on electronic payments to local governments, which passed 110-0, and HB 127 requiring cursive writing instruction in grades 2-5, which passed 111-0 after members spoke about literacy, signatures, and heritage. CS/HB 453 on high school diploma requirements passed 111-0 and would allow certain students to use Special Olympics participation for PE credit and marching band for PE and arts credit. The House also passed CS/HB 237 on use of professional nursing titles, which requires APRNs using the title doctor to clarify they are APRNs, by 111-0. The chamber then debated HJR 583, a proposed constitutional amendment on religious expression in public schools. Supporters said it would codify existing statutory protections for student and school personnel religious expression and let voters decide; opponents argued it was unnecessary, could create confusion, and risked constitutional problems involving school-sponsored prayer and the separation of church and state. After structured debate, the resolution passed 93-17. The House next passed CS/HB 363 on dental therapy, which creates a licensed mid-level dental provider and drew sharp debate over access to care versus patient safety; it passed 80-29. HB 375 on autonomous practice by certified registered nurse anesthetists passed 78-28, and HB 301 on psychiatric mental health APRN autonomous practice passed 88-18. Later, the House passed HB 863 on arbitration for Citizens Property Insurance disputes, giving policyholders a choice between arbitration and court, by 105-3, and HB 1399 on property insurance affiliates, which increases oversight of insurer-affiliate transactions, by 160-3. Members also heard and advanced a local claims bill, HB 6517, for relief of Eribeito and Sanchez Mayan against the City of St. Petersburg, describing severe injuries allegedly caused during an arrest and transport; the bill was rolled over for third reading at the end of the transcript. Throughout the day, members also paused for multiple recognitions of visiting students, local officials, professional groups, and community organizations.

Transcript Highlights:

• or simply to audit.
• or just for audit.
• </c><01:07:27.039><c> I</c> course for credit or simply to audit.
• I course for credit or simply to audit.
• or just for taking classes for credit or just for audit.<01:08:17.839><c> When</c><01:08:18.080><c>

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The last CPUC audit, the first and last CPUC audit, was done to... said no.
• The last CPUC audit, the first and last CPUC audit, was done to.
• The last CPUC audit, the first and last CPUC audit, was done in 2021, and it found that utilities got
• Not been auditing whether they actually do it.
• And who does those audits?

Committee: House Utilities and Energy

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And with corporate, we get a bunch of credit—get rid of some credits, disallow some credits.
• I think our audit team looks at it, and it was more of a 50-50 split where we had a 60-40 when we looked
• we collect through enforcement or involuntary compliance, you’re looking at about $4.5 billion in audit
• So the revenue audit, that works out? Is that a good return on investment for us?
• Because even though in the audit, even though it's $400 to $500 million in collections, the impact it

Summary: The Revenue Estimating Conference met with four members present and first approved the prior meeting minutes and recognized the FYI end-of-balance of $577,077,871 as nonrecurring revenue. The main business was revising the state revenue forecast for FY 2026, FY 2027, and the long-range outlook. The Division of Administration recommended a $113 million reduction to the FY 2026 State General Fund forecast and a $104 million reduction for FY 2027, citing weaker-than-expected individual income tax collections, softer corporate income tax receipts, and some weakness in general sales tax, partly offset by stronger motor vehicle sales tax and higher mineral-related revenues tied to oil prices. The Legislative Fiscal Office presented a somewhat different but broadly similar forecast, with modest net increases to the general fund bottom line in the current year and next year, emphasizing caution on income and corporate taxes and more optimism on sales, severance, royalties, and some other revenue streams. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on the causes of the income tax shortfall, especially withholding and refund patterns after tax changes that lowered rates. Department of Revenue officials explained that withholding tables had been set with a cushion that may be producing larger refunds, and said changing the tables could quickly reduce overwithholding, though the effect would take time to show up. Members also discussed corporate collections, the lingering effects of the franchise tax repeal, the role of settlements and audits, and the extent to which collections are voluntary versus enforcement-driven. The Department of Revenue said corporate collections still had key filing and estimated-payment milestones ahead in May and June, and that refund and audit activity related to the former franchise tax would continue for some time. The conference then adopted the Division of Administration’s FY 2026 forecast, the FY 2027 recurring forecast, and the long-range forecast, along with the proposed inflation rates for the Millennium Trust and parish severance allocation. Members also adopted the incentive expenditure forecast, noting that the reported amount is only the REC-reported portion and that larger tax exemption amounts come off the top before appropriations. The Treasurer reported a General Fund cash balance of about $404.1 million as of May 5, 2026, and an interfund borrowing base of about $9.18 billion, saying cash levels were similar on average to the prior year. The meeting ended with a note that another REC meeting might be needed depending on the May 16 election, and the conference adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, like last year, we just gave the residence credit off the top of the tax... ...credit off
• They input the homestead credits, vet credits. The tax statements are basically all the same.
• , whether it was bad credit, homestead credit, primary residence credit, didn't matter, you know.
• We are auditing until I'll... We are auditing until March. There's a lot of audits that we do.
• The credit itself, the amount of the credit.

Summary: The subcommittee of the Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee met to begin its study of whether the content of the real estate tax statement should be revised to improve transparency. Legislative Council staff reviewed the study directive from HB 1176 and the statutory requirements for tax statements, including required line items such as true and full value, mill levy, legislative tax relief, primary residence credit, legacy fund share, discounts for early payment, and special assessments. The Tax Department then explained how the current uniform statewide statement is prescribed and approved, and noted that changes are typically driven by statute and implemented collaboratively with counties and vendors. County officials from NDACO, including auditors from McKenzie and Richland counties, described the full annual property tax timeline from budgeting through mailing final statements. They explained how counties gather budgets, calculate levies, verify taxable values, handle centrally assessed property, and prepare required notices and statements. They also said public attendance at budget hearings is generally very low, though the notices and statements generate some calls, mostly about whether attendance is required or why taxes are changing. Several members questioned the usefulness of the legislative tax relief line and the complexity of the 5% discount calculation, and county officials said the current process can be confusing and depends on manual data entry and coordination among counties, vendors, and taxing districts. The committee also discussed assessment frequency, valuation equalization, the 3% cap, and whether more frequent reassessment would reduce large jumps in taxable value. County officials said they try to use rotating reassessments and sales-ratio reviews to keep values within statutory tolerance, but staffing, training, and local market changes make the work difficult. NDACO staff estimated, based on a small county survey, that tax statement preparation and mailing costs average about 74 cents per statement, with outsourcing generally cheaper than in-house printing, and said HB 1176 added some mailing and administrative costs even if the tax statement itself did not change dramatically. Software vendors from CPT and Tyler then began presentations showing how their systems handle budgeting, valuation notices, tax statement generation, primary residence credit processing, and levy worksheets, emphasizing that many of the required calculations and reports are still manually entered or verified by county staff.

Transcript Highlights:

• If the local government has been subject to the legislative audit committee's audit within one year after
• This amendment is technical and simply moves the audit language to the appropriate section of statute
• This amendment is technical and simply moves the audit language to the appropriate section of statute
• And I think Senator Rodriguez ran this bill last year, so I'd like to give her credit.
• And I think Senator Rodriguez ran this bill last year, so I'd like to give her credit. Nice.

Bills: S0314 , S0530 , S0576 , S0800 , S0990 , S1078 , S1440 , S1568 , S1588 , S1614

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government

Keywords: payment stablecoin, financial regulation, anti-money laundering, state oversight, digital currency, financial services, Florida lottery, state lottery, lottery tickets, lottery retailer, Department of the Lottery, Division of Security, ball machine, lottery vending machine, instant tickets, online lottery tickets, major procurement, vendor disclosure, performance bond, retailer bond

Transcript Highlights:

• And the software this bill would help create could generate and track credits that could be traded worldwide
• and the 45V Advances in technology and the 45V federal<00:02:58.160><c> tax</c><00:02:58.480><c> credit
• :59.400><c> House</c><00:02:59.600><c> Speaker</c> Advances in technology and the 45V federal tax credit
• record for every ton of auditable record for every ton of ammonia<00:03:57.960><c> produced</c><00:03
• their uh right on we rebate or credit their uh right on the<00:13:25.000><c> the</c><00:13:25.560><c

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Fink in audit.
• I want to give credit to the school board; they had already agreed to do a public audit.
• audit.
• So when they have their private audit, do we review that audit?
• Audit is going to do the audit of the school, then we're going to do the audit of the school.

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Summary: The committee opened with prayer, approved the January 8 minutes, and then reviewed education audit reports. The first report concerned Northwest Arkansas Community College, which had two findings: repeat internal control deficiencies that caused material misstatements in the financial statements, and a tuition revenue loss tied to a Workday system issue that failed to charge some students after drop-add changes. College officials said the problems were misclassification and process issues rather than missing funds, described corrective steps including checklists, monthly closing procedures, and approval controls, and attributed some issues to staffing turnover and the Workday implementation. Members asked about accountability, staffing, and whether students should have been billed; the report was filed as reviewed. The next report was Cedarville School District, where auditors found improper personal credit card charges of $794 by a former elementary teacher. The employee reimbursed the district, and the matter was referred to law enforcement, the prosecuting attorney, the attorney general, and the Professional Licensure Standards Board. Members asked whether any licensing action would follow, but staff said they were only aware that no further action had been taken by the board. The final finding was for West Memphis School District, which had a repeat capital assets issue involving failure to capitalize $851,000 in construction expenditures for a baseball-softball complex, along with other asset-recording and inspection discrepancies. The superintendent said the district had recently begun using Arkansas Legislative Audit for the first time after previously using a private CPA firm, and described new controls such as multi-level purchase approval, tagging, separation of duties, and inventory cleanup. Members questioned why the district had not been audited publicly before and how private audits are handled; staff explained that private audits are still reviewed and findings come before the committee. The report was filed as reviewed. The meeting ended with notice that 28 school districts had no findings and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> approved by the Legislative audit approved by the Legislative audit commission<00:27:24.399><c>
• :42:47.040><c> in</c><00:42:47.160><c> a</c> entity subject to audit so it's in a entity subject to audit
• </c> to us directly in this specific audit to us directly in this specific audit you<00:43:00.880><c>
• </c><00:43:02.680><c> of</c> you know we are conducting an audit of you know we are conducting an audit
• </c><00:44:04.119><c> has</c> currently an auditor in an audit has currently an auditor in an audit has

Bills: HF1867 , HF1240

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Keywords: lottery, retailer contracts, Minnesota Statutes, contract qualifications, public integrity, criminal background, legislative auditor, public funds, state government, compliance, transparency, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I didn't ask you to see the intricate details of the audit. I just said, can we see the audit?
• I didn't ask you to see the intricate details of the audit. I just said, can we see the audit?
• Not the individuals that were students, but the audit. The audit results. That's right. Okay.
• States with tax credit programs, seven states with individual tax deduction or tax credit programs.
• Can you remind me of what the requirements are for the audit? Is it auditing the private school?

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 convened with a quorum, adopted its committee rules, and heard opening remarks from members introducing staff and outlining priorities for the session. Members from both parties emphasized education as a major issue, while several Republicans framed the committee’s work around school choice and parent empowerment. Senator West and other Democrats stressed protecting public schools, listening to Texans, and considering the effects of vouchers or education savings accounts on school districts and communities. Chairman Creighton laid out Senate Bill 2, the Texas Education Freedom Act, describing it as a universal education savings account program modeled on similar programs in other states. He said the bill would provide about $200 million for a universal eligibility pool and additional funding for students with disabilities and lower-income families, with priority weighting for former public school students. He also highlighted anti-fraud measures, vendor pre-approval, criminal background checks, cybersecurity protections, annual testing requirements for participating students, and the use of the Comptroller rather than TEA to administer the program. Creighton repeatedly said the bill is not a voucher and argued it would not take money from public schools, which he said would receive separate historic funding increases. Members questioned Creighton about the 500% of federal poverty line definition, the adequacy of the $10,000 ESA amount, whether the program would favor students already in private school, how microschools and homeschool pods would fit, and whether the bill protects religious liberty and private-school autonomy. Democrats raised concerns about disability protections, 504 students, foster children, public-school funding, open records, and the historical context of vouchers. Republicans generally supported the bill as a way to expand options for parents and students, while also asking about administration, fraud prevention, and data security. After member questions, the committee began invited testimony, with EdChoice President Robert Inlow presenting in support of SB 2 and citing the growth and reported success of school choice programs nationwide.

Transcript Highlights:

• and credit cards.
• </c> who do not have access to credit who do not have access to credit and<00:22:03.520><c> credit</c
• </c><01:54:06.680><c> with</c><01:54:06.920><c> no</c> audit and have a clean audit with no audit and
• </c> just mentioned had to have an audit. just mentioned had to have an audit.
• </c> law currently to have audits conducted. law currently to have audits conducted.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Friday, April 10, 2026, 960, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> conducted that audit. That was in 2024. conducted that audit. That was in 2024.
• </c> audit is quite limited. audit is quite limited.
• </c> the big credit bureaus like TransUnion. the big credit bureaus like TransUnion.
• </c> working with our banks and our credit working with our banks and our credit unions.
• </c> seven lines of credit. seven lines of credit.

Committee: Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Forensic audits. So while some school districts may have an audit that's done at a high...
• This is a vendor bill to again do another audit—the third audit—which is the exact opposite of what a
• Getting back to the audit, when you do an audit, it takes an amazing amount of time away from whoever
• is being audited.
• No, no, no, it doesn't require any audits or independent audits.

Bills: HB75 , HB188 , HB199 , HB4029 , HB330 , HB507 , HB524 , HB1517 , HB 1065 , HB1375 , HB1630 , HB1398 , HB 1227 , HB689 , HB1814 , HB2160 , HB2140 , HB4897 , HB5600 , HB5489 , HB4188 , HB2881 , HB2048 , HB3900 , HB4074 , HB5568 , HB5528 , HB3811 , HB3726 , HB3382 , HB4507 , HB4775 , HB3626 , HB3569 , HB5212 , HB5248 , HB5178 , HB3453 , HB3231 , HB3941 , HB1571 , HB1969 , HB1865 , HB2879 , HB2643 , HB4799 , HB4891 , HB5567 , HB5549 , HB5187 , HB5118 , HB3191 , HB1730 , HB1687 , HB2192 , HB4511 , HB4805 , HB1863 , HB3195 , HB3199 , HB5562 , HB5551 , HB5169 , HB3290 , HB3712 , HB3996 , HB5098 , HB5097 , HB5089 , HB3897 , HB3868 , HB3829 , HB4840 , HB3753 , HB4368 , HB4142 , HB2841 , HB3457 , HB3784 , HCR46 , HCR109 , HCR10 , SB1844 , SB1833 , SB2284 , SB2052 , SB1666 , SB1265 , SB1146 , SB1921 , SB480 , SB1734 , SB296 , SB2039 , SB462 , SB1646 , SB2173 , SB2925 , SB682 , SB1173 , HB4535 , HB4520 , HB3824 , HB3066 , HB2442 , HB3863 , HB4773 , HB4327 , HB5115 , HB5515 , HB3372 , HB5659 , HB 127 , HB386 , HB 115 , HB2868 , HB 1249 , HB4766 , HB3720 , HB4879 , HB5383 , HB4621 , HB5431 , HB5678 , HB5534 , HB4212 , HB3954 , HB3966 , HB3918 , HB1422 , HB4765 , HB4732 , HB4742 , HB4518 , HB5084 , HB3986 , HB4144 , HB3976 , HB4473 , HB3425 , HB3641 , HB3642 , HB3475 , HB3424 , HB4744 , HB4539 , HB3159 , HB5228 , HB5370 , HB4359 , HB4443 , HB4466 , HB3849 , HB4240 , HB5141 , HB5686 , HB3629 , HB3554 , HB3567 , HB2015 , HB3575 , HB5381 , HB4398 , HB3514 , HB4614 , HB4546 , HB5681 , HB5663 , HB4271 , HB4350 , HB4035 , HB3812 , HB3540 , HB3715 , HB3664 , HB4233 , HB3333 , HB3510 , HB4222 , HB2070 , HB2854 , HB2347 , HB 113 , HJR218 , HB5623 , HB4921 , HB5673 , HB5520 , HB 105 , HB4685 , HB5354 , HB4683 , HB75 , HB983 , HB4847 , HB1449 , HB3833 , HB5151 , HB265 , HB1845 , HB782 , HB 108 , HB1960 , HB158 , HB1954 , HB1955 , HB2512 , HB605 , HB2581 , HB2803 , HB627 , HB2667 , HB1738 , HB636 , HB3679 , HB2638 , HB2655 , HB871 , HB2438 , HB 1107 , HB1765 , HB1822 , HB2153 , HB4099 , HB3732 , HB3171 , HB3178 , HB3182 , HB3749 , HB2814 , HB3977 , HB4204 , HB4207 , HB4449 , HB1820 , HB1876 , HB1939 , HB1347 , HB2593 , HB2136 , HB2132 , HB2658 , HB2413 , HB2757 , HB2080 , HB3154 , HB3063 , HB3009 , HB3448 , HB3006 , HB2844 , HB3241 , HB3680 , HB3169 , HB2078 , HB2507 , HB4559 , HB3946 , HB3460 , HB3405 , HB475 , HB3463 , HB3441 , HB3441 , HB3520 , HB2060 , HB4731 , HB4991 , HB1991 , HB5596 , HB2014 , HB2142 , HB2673 , HB2731 , HB2417 , HB2399 , HB2301 , HB2301 , HB3335 , HB3234 , HB3320 , HB5573 , HB5573 , HB4848 , HB4848 , HB4748 , HB4769 , HB4795 , HB2086 , HB2086 , HB2234 , HB2234 , HB2203 , HB4916 , HB5624 , HB4505 , HB139 , HB5093 , HB5302 , HB5402 , HB5606 , HB2333 , HB4630 , HB4701 , HB2583 , HB2983 , HB4924 , HB3339 , HB3339 , HB3793 , HB3631 , HB4882 , HB5509 , HB5499 , HB5430 , HB5561 , HB5561 , HB5611 , HB5043 , HB5064 , HB5064 , HB3733 , HB3733 , HB3781 , HB3219 , HB32 , HB4515 , HB5348 , HB3902 , HB4420 , HB3269 , HB469 , HB336 , HB316 , HB5396 , HB993 , HB1342 , HB1342 , HB5216 , HB2046 , HB2046 , HB2188 , HB2188 , HB2450 , HB2813 , HB2857 , HB4075 , HB4075 , HB2911 , HB4682 , HB4682 , HB3117 , HB3253 , HB3442 , HB4820 , HB4336 , HB5356 , HB3669 , HB3428 , HB5465 , HB3662 , HB2590 , HB2288 , HB2288 , HB1886 , HB3458 , HB3458 , HB5603 , HB5620 , HB1489 , HB1489 , HB4101 , HB4990 , HB5685 , HB5685 , HB4950 , HB4950 , HB4980 , HB5684 , HB3507 , HB3507 , HB3566 , HB4487 , HB4487 , HB4462 , HB4462 , HB4876 , HB4915 , HB4663 , HB5570 , HB2929 , HB5261 , HB2920 , HB4642 , HB4746 , HB1609 , HB5403 , HB5453 , HB3844 , HB2336 , HB1572 , HB 1226 , HB 1226 , HB2806 , HB2806 , HB2617 , HB2617 , HB2827 , HB3948 , HB3948 , HB3945 , HB4266 , HB4542 , HB3319 , HB1772 , HB2496 , HB1970 , HB3434 , HB5545 , HB5545 , HB5577 , HB5577 , HB31 , HB31 , HB279 , HB370 , HB370 , HB4768 , HB513 , HB875 , HB982 , HB 1085 , HB 1085 , HB2677 , HB2874 , HB5478 , HB4880 , HB4798 , HB4514 , HB4958 , HB4958 , HB4508 , HB4508 , HB3758 , HB3830 , HB3744 , HB3622 , HB741 , HB741 , HB2204 , HB2204 , HB2860 , HB4659 , HB4578 , HB813 , HB712 , HB712 , HB1551 , HB2790 , HB2698 , HB3365 , HB3504 , HB3118 , HB3118 , HB2959 , HB1862 , HB1862 , HB 1026 , HB4401 , HB4401 , HB4164 , HB4164 , HB3920 , HB4737 , HB4966 , HB4966 , HB4967 , HB1958 , HB4979 , HB4979 , HB5459 , HB3862 , HB1823 , HB1823 , HB4415 , HB4893 , HB2343 , HB 1228 , HB4337 , HB188 , HB199 , HB4029 , HB330 , HB507 , HB524 , HB1517 , HB 1065 , HB1375 , HB1630 , HB1398 , HB 1227 , HB689 , HB689 , HB1814 , HB2160 , HB2140 , HB4897 , HB5600 , HB5489 , HB4188 , HB2881 , HB2048 , HB3900 , HB4074 , HB5568 , HB5528 , HB3811 , HB3726 , HB3382 , HB3382 , HB4507 , HB4775 , HB3626 , HB3569 , HB5212 , HB5248 , HB5178 , HB3453 , HB3231 , HB3941 , HB1571 , HB1969 , HB1865 , HB2879 , HB2879 , HB2643 , HB4799 , HB4891 , HB5567 , HB5549 , HB5187 , HB5118 , HB3191 , HB1730 , HB1687 , HB1687 , HB2192 , HB4511 , HB4805 , HB4805 , HB1863 , HB3195 , HB3199 , HB5562 , HB5562 , HB5551 , HB5169 , HB3290 , HB3712 , HB3996 , HB5098 , HB5098 , HB5097 , HB5089 , HB5089 , HB3897 , HB3868 , HB3829 , HB4840 , HB3753 , HB4368 , HB4142 , HB2841 , HB3457 , HB3784 , HCR76 , HCR76 , HCR127 , HCR9 , HCR40 , HCR118 , HR559 , HCR59 , HCR59 , HCR135 , HCR141 , HCR46 , HCR46 , HCR109 , HCR10

Keywords: magistrate, criminal procedure, probable cause, written findings, law enforcement, Texas STRONG defense fund, severance tax revenue, oil and gas revenue, constitutional transfers, rainy day fund, economic stabilization fund, state highway fund, oil and gas production, qualifying county, county grants, water infrastructure, first responders, public safety, DPS staffing, commercial motor vehicle safety

Transcript Highlights:

• YOU ARE SECOND-QUARTER PAYMENT REFLECT THE CREDIT OF $35,980?
• BUT WE'RE LETTING IT DO THE WORK BUT THEN WE ARE AUDITING THE PATCH AND AT FIRST WE WERE AUDITING ONES
• ONE SO AUDITING 100% OF WHAT IT WAS DETERMINING.
• THE VENDOR WOULD RETURN THE PRODUCT AND THE VENDOR WOULD ISSUE A CREDIT, WE WOULD APPLY THAT CREDIT BACK
• HOW OFTEN ARE THE MARKETPLACE PROCESSES AND PRICES AUDITED AND IF SO, HOW OFTEN AND WHO DOES THE AUDIT

Transcript Highlights:

• Each year, the state has received far more tax credit requests than the cap currently allowed.
• Or if they're opening a Petland credit card, it's the right choice for that family.
• I'm thinking about compliance and maybe the opportunity to audit AI providers.
• I don't recall any audit provision.
• But there's no specific audit function. Thank you, Chair Leak.

Summary: The Committee on Commerce and Tourism considered a series of bills affecting tax policy, workforce development, business regulation, consumer protection, rural development, and artificial intelligence. SB 1076 would raise Florida’s research and development tax credit cap from $9 million to $50 million beginning with the 2027 allocation, and it was reported favorably. CS/SB 1266 would create a cybersecurity experiential internship and clearance-readiness program with the Department of Commerce and Cyber Florida; an amendment removed an appropriation from the bill, and the committee reported it favorably. SB 554, a broad update to Florida’s not-for-profit corporation law, was also reported favorably after supportive testimony from Florida Bar representatives. SB 1004, aimed at protecting buyers of dogs and cats from deceptive sales and predatory financing practices, received strong support from animal welfare advocates and was reported favorably. SB 1074, which provides rounding rules for cash transactions if pennies are unavailable, was likewise reported favorably. SB 214, expanding the rural community definition to include special districts in rural counties for economic development purposes, was reported favorably. SPB 7030, a public records exemption tied to Department of Legal Affairs investigations, was adopted as a committee bill and favorably reported. The committee also heard extensive discussion on SB 998, the Department of Commerce package. The bill would modernize the Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant program, clarify rural community eligibility for certain unincorporated areas, exempt military entities from a reverter clause on land conveyances, and revise E-Verify enforcement procedures. Members questioned the E-Verify provisions, including penalties, protections for workers incorrectly flagged, and the treatment of gig workers. Senator Smith opposed the bill, arguing it creates unequal treatment between employers and immigrant workers, while Senator Wright supported the military-related provisions. Despite the debate, SB 998 was reported favorably, with Senators Bracy Davis, Smith, and Errington voting no. The committee also took up SB 482, an “Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights” that would create consumer protections for companion chatbots, require parental consent and access for minors, mandate periodic disclosures that users are interacting with AI, restrict certain uses of personal data and likenesses, and give the Attorney General enforcement authority. The bill drew both support and criticism: supporters emphasized child safety, transparency, and consumer protection, while opponents raised concerns about privacy, broad definitions, lack of audit mechanisms, and the absence of a private right of action for adults. Senators Smith and Davis urged clearer definitions and stronger accountability, but both said the bill was a starting point. The committee reported SB 482 favorably. The meeting ended with recorded affirmative votes requested by Senators Yarbrough, Wright, and Davis on selected tabs, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Each year, the state has received far more tax credit requests than the cap currently allowed.
• Or if they're opening a Petland credit card, it's the right choice for that family.
• I'm thinking about compliance and maybe the opportunity to audit AI providers.
• I don't recall any audit provision.
• But there's no specific audit function. Okay. Thank you, Chair Leek.

Committee: Senate Commerce and Tourism

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Summary: The Commerce and Tourism Committee heard and advanced several bills. SB 1076 would raise Florida’s research and development tax credit cap from $9 million to $50 million, with the higher cap first applying to the 2027 allocation; it was reported favorably. CS/SB 1266 would create a Cybersecurity Experiential Internship and Clearance Readiness Program with the Department of Commerce and Cyber Florida, but an amendment removed the bill’s funding appropriation; the amended bill was reported favorably. SB 554, a Florida Bar-backed update to the not-for-profit corporations statute, was also reported favorably after support testimony from the Bar and others. SB 1004, aimed at protecting buyers of dogs and cats from deceptive financing and undisclosed health conditions at retail pet stores, drew strong support from animal welfare advocates and was reported favorably. SB 1074, which sets rounding rules for cash transactions if pennies are unavailable, was reported favorably as well. The committee also considered SB 998, the Department of Commerce package. The bill would modernize the small cities CDBG program, clarify rural community eligibility to include certain unincorporated areas, exempt military conveyances from a reverter clause, and revise E-Verify enforcement and penalties. Members questioned the E-Verify provisions, including the fine structure, treatment of workers incorrectly flagged, and whether the bill could affect gig workers or retroactive cases. Senator Smith opposed the bill during debate, arguing it created unequal treatment for employers and immigrant workers, while Senator Wright supported the military-related provisions. SB 998 was reported favorably. SB 214 would expand the rural economic development initiative to include special districts in rural counties and was reported favorably. SB 482, the Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights, generated the most extensive discussion; it would create consumer protections for companion chatbots, require parental consent and access for minors, mandate disclosures and de-identification rules, restrict unauthorized use of name, image, and likeness, and give enforcement authority to the Attorney General. Supporters emphasized child safety, privacy, and the need for guardrails, while opponents and some informational witnesses raised concerns about privacy, age verification, enforcement, and the bill’s breadth. The bill was reported favorably, and the committee also approved SPB 7030, a committee bill creating a public records exemption for Department of Legal Affairs investigations tied to the AI enforcement provisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:43.319><c> and</c> students per year both credit and students per year both credit and non-credit
• The Audit Committee of the board approves an annual audit plan and any amendments to that plan.
• internal audit work.
• internal audit work.
• our internal audit work.

Committee: Senate Higher Education

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , they claimed $19.2 million in credits.
• Donors receive almost all available tax credits each year, despite increases in the statewide credit
• Our next review is the Equitable Access to Credit Program.
• This is a Business and Occupation tax credit.
• They've used $11.4 million in tax credits.

Committee: Joint Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've done all those agencies on audits, some trials, but mostly...
• Donors receive almost all available tax credits each year, despite increases in the statewide credit
• They indicated that the advantage of the credit is self-directing their taxes through the credit and
• Our next review is the Equitable Access to Credit Program.
• They've used $11.4 million in tax credits.

Committee: Joint Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences

Summary: The Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences met on August 4, 2026, with all five commissioners present. The commission approved the May 26, 2026 minutes, welcomed new commissioner Diane Tabilius, and re-elected Andy Knopfsiger Meadows as chair and Dr. Sharon Keiko as vice chair. JLARC staff also introduced two Evans School interns who are assisting with preliminary research for the 2027 review cycle. JLARC presented preliminary findings on seven tax preference reviews, focusing most heavily on the Main Street communities credit, the Equitable Access to Credit Program, and the urban data center exemption. Staff concluded that the Main Street preference has helped increase the number of communities and businesses and recommended continuing it, while also recommending that DAHP collect more detailed and standardized business-count data. The Equitable Access to Credit Program was found to support underserved communities and was also recommended for continuation. The urban data center exemption was found to have been used only for refurbishment projects, not new construction, and staff recommended letting it expire; commissioners and Representative Paulette discussed the need for better performance measures, cost-per-job analysis, and clearer legislative intent language in tax preference statements. Staff then reviewed airplane modification, landfill biogas, automotive adaptive equipment, and housing for people with developmental disabilities. The airplane modification preference was found to likely support jobs and state tax revenue and was recommended for continuation. The landfill biogas preference was also recommended for continuation, with a suggestion for more detailed reporting on use and renewable natural gas production. The automotive adaptive equipment exemption was found to continue providing relief to disabled veterans and service members and was recommended for continuation, while the housing transfer exemption for adults with developmental disabilities had not been used and was recommended to expire. No public testimony was taken at this meeting, and the commission noted that public testimony would be heard at its September meeting before final comments are adopted in October.